To some, it inspires excitement and adventure. To others, it terrifies.
There have been times when I longed for the comfort of sameness. No surprises. Just wind me up and let me go unimpeded.
I would have loved to just routinely put my dishes away this week. However, a glass bowl virtually exploded in my hand – raining down shards over an open dishwasher filled with clean dishes, and even into an exposed open drawer and beyond! Of course, it then flew over freshly cleaned floors. (More on the aftermath of that next week).
That was taxing enough, but day-after-day repeats?
Even good repetitions can be suffocating for me.
Why? It’s not a matter of being a thrill seeker, but I have a deep desire to not live the same day repeatedly. (Remember the movie Groundhog Day?)
Why would I want to paint the same picture on every new page?
My young adult self was very unsure about the concept of the future, setting goals, change, new beginnings, and anything unknown. There was a struggle within between ‘going with the flow’ and ‘being the master of my own ship.’
As I have aged and have watched and experienced the unpredictability of life for everyone, there is no desire to lather/rinse/repeat with my time.
Knowing I am the only one in control of my life, even when visiting the same restaurant, I want to branch out from my location-specific choices of old to discover something new.
Taking a walk this morning saw us on a new path through the neighborhood. Discovering more houses being built inspired us to walk around the build sites, where we observed new interesting home features.
Even while doing the familiar, there is something for us to discover that is new. We must actively look for it.
Need I add, it takes us looking away from our cell phones to really see the world around us? To experience something new, we must be present in the moment.
How are you experiencing newness? Can you do, think, learn, and create something unique or distinctive right now, today, and tomorrow?
Can you find the blessing in your new experience?
Speaking of blessings, happy birthday to our editor, Sheree Alderman, who is not only starting a new year, but charting several new courses! It will be a grand ride, Captain!
It’s not a word on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Kaizen. It comes from two Japanese words “kai,” meaning ‘change,’ and “zen,” meaning ‘good’.
Many of us bristle at the very thought of change. Status quo is the word of the day for many.
But change is as natural as the different seasons in nature – morphing almost imperceptibly into something different. In our own lives, each day is unique, and each phase of our journey is new. We’ve never been here before. Change is our normal state.
Kaizen has also come to mean the process of continuous improvement. Since the early days of Toyota, the Japanese manufacturer was one of the first organizations to embrace the idea that perfection is not a fixed destination – as life evolves – our needs, visions, and approaches change – and so must our methods and products.
Therefore, change can be good.
There’s a lesson to be learned by the way nature changes that we can take into our own efforts for self-improvement.
What is that lesson? Sustainable change – or a process of changing that can be sustainable – must happen gradually.
We don’t jump from frozen ground to full-bloom spring, do we?
Taking the smallest, measurable step each day is enough to get us there. When we show up every day to take our efforts and results just a little farther down the road, that’s exactly what we want.
Sustainability is the key.
If we make our steps giant, challenging leaps, there’s a good chance we will not return the next day. Skipping one day makes starting the next time harder, and makes creating excuses to skip again very alluring and justifiable.
In that vein, the five-minute arm workout I shared with you last week is a perfect example of sustainability. There’s not a big commitment, this routine can be done any time of day or night, and I seem to naturally improve and expand what I do with no special effort.
There’s that Kaizen Principle at work in a simple arm routine.
Yesterday, I morphed a few moves to create a half-dozen more. So fun to do, and variation keeps things fresh!
Try taking a hammer curl to a full overhead arm extension and back again. Then extend that combination to a triceps extension: three moves in one loop.
Add another triceps move by standing upright, arms at the side holding weights, then bend elbows slightly while moving arms back. Hold that position and extend arms back straight. Pause. Flex at the elbow and keep pumping back, pausing at full extension 10-15 times.
Maintaining exercise by carrying moving boxes was easily checked off last year as I made near-daily loops around my neighborhood to keep track of building progress on the new home.
Then lifting, shuffling, and sorting through 42 years of stuff at the old homestead was further enhanced by boxing, toting, and moving that which survived the great throw out.
Arms, legs, and back were all getting their workouts in 2022.
This year, with the moving-in process winding down, my arms need regular workouts. Time to keep my five-pound weights within easy reach for daily impromptu maintenance and strengthening moves.
How do you trigger doing regular exercise at home?
Just keeping my cute pink weights in plain sight and ready-to-use, usually does the trick. I’ve been known to keep them on the hearth in the living room so I can pick them up during commercial time when watching TV.
Some folks like using a habit-tracker like the one I offer as a download for my first book, Toolkit for Wellness. The entire download for that book can be accessed below and you can find thehabit tracker on page 6.
I’m going to use the habit-tracker this month because I want the visual reward of little check marks adding up.
Whatever your method, let’s get back to some easy arm basics.
Remember to start out using light weights: 1, 2, 3, or 5 pound dumbbells – or use 8 ounce cans of soup or nothing at all. Sore muscles and complaining joints are motivators to abandon exercise, and that would be counterproductive, to say the least.
A little jazzy music helps if you aren’t doing this during a commercial break, and standing is a plus for me – but many of these moves can be done seated.
Whatever position you assume, remember to “pull the string” of symbolically pulling a string at the top of your head to straighten your spine and to get your ears-over-shoulders and shoulders-over-hips.
Pulling the string gets us in good body alignment for optimal movement with decreased chance for injury.
NOTE: I am not a strength or conditioning trainer – this is what I do – proceed using your own wisdom and the recommendations of your medical professional. If you experience pain or discomfort, stop.
Basic Curls
Standing straight, feet should-width apart, holding your light weights, start with straight arms hanging close to your body, and palms facing forward. Bend both elbows slowly lifting the weight toward your shoulders – but do not touch your shoulders. Pause, then return to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.
I like to add a set of curls with my palms facing each other. Changing hands to facing inward also changes the name to hammer curl, but don’t sweat the labels. Just note how this may feel as different muscles are called into use.
Arm raises
Standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, with arms hanging straight down at your sides, slowly raise weights out to your sides and up parallel to the floor and just slightly in front of you. You should be able to just see your hands in the periphery of your vision. Pause, and then slowly lower your arms to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times. Do not swing your arms up and down – the point is to move slowly with control.
A variation of basic arm raises is to do them while standing slightly bent at the waist. Try bending forward about 45 degrees, keeping back flat, hands with weights at the sides of your knees, and raising arms out to the side until parallel to the floor. Pause, and slowly lower to starting position.
Overhead triceps extensions
This exercise may be done either by holding a single weight with both hands, or by using a weight in each hand.
Standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, press the weight/s up over your head until your arms are fully extended. Without moving your upper arms, lower the weight/s behind your head as far as comfortable. Pause, then bring the weight/s back up to straight up over your head. Repeat 10-15 times.
Punch the air
Standing straight with feet a little wider apart than shoulder width, hold weights chest height. Using alternate hands, punch out and slightly up like at a punching bag. Crouching slightly by bending the knees adds another exercise element as knees are bent and then straightened at the top of the punch. Repeat 10-15 times.
It’s basic exercise fare but can amazingly help strength and range of motion. Most importantly, it’s doable and repeatable.
Can you spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S?
If you found this helpful, please share with someone else using the options under the MORE button below.
During my final move out of storage and into my long-awaited new home in a new town, I was moved to take a picture of the empty storage unit before I left.
It’s empty – save for some broken glass.
Isn’t that what we all are looking at as we regard the past year? We’re moving on with whatever we are taking, and we are leaving behind the broken glass.
Well, we should be leaving behind the broken glass – maybe sweep it up so no one gets cut – but don’t start the new year with a pocket full of broken glass.
Admit our mistakes. Explore what we have learned from both mistakes and successes, and move forward with a clean slate to look for opportunities to flex our increased self-awareness and knowledge.
So, in these brief moments on the first Tuesday of January 2023, what pieces of broken glass are you willing to leave behind from 2022?
And what elements are you eager to take, nurture, and harvest for this new year?
This time last year, we were bundled up for the cold daily walks to gaze upon the bare hard ground where our new house would eventually stand. Each day’s steps brought us outdoors for exercise and anticipation – and were sprinkled with a healthy dose of patience as we longed for the breaking of ground.
When the weather warmed and progress on the new build was realized, we added sunscreen, water bottles, and shade hats to our warm weather attire – but the walking exercise continued.
Now moved in, realizing our dream, and using our new space, I am committed to taking the winter walks into the new year – making them a part of the fabric of our lives.
While every day represents fresh starts, certainly the new year marks a time to think about what we need to leave behind and what we want to take with us.
Happy 2023 to all our foodtalk4you readers! Remember to “do your body good” with each bite, each breath, and each movement.[
Cute little chalky white milk mustaches as simple reminders to get another glass of milk?
The recent reminders given to me about certain minerals/electrolytes weren’t so cute.
Nope.
Imagine an early morning leg and foot stretch that instantaneously morphs into a full blown muscle spasm sending toes in unnatural directions and creating balls of muscle knots in the calf – relieved only by getting out of bed to stand and tenderly walk around in the dark pre-dawn house.
Upon returning to bed my foot had sinister ideas about doing it again. Sigh. And again. Grrr.
I was taking an excellent magnesium supplement, Garden of Life, that was doing wonders for calming before bed – what was out of balance?
I’ve touched on this topic before, but my application of knowledge was clearly faulty, or I hadn’t learned enough.
Back to the drawing board.
Muscle cramps are related to deficiencies in the following minerals/electrolytes:
Potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium + water
Most of us know about athletes eating bananas before a big workout or prior to the BIG GAME. But there’s more to the picture than just bananas.
Wouldn’t you know, the next night my evening snack was half of an avocado and there were no cramps in the wee hours.
Since then, I’ve been more diligent in adequate hydration augmented with electrolytes and in having two or three of these items from this list every day.
We are designed for health. If there’s a problem, I’m always on the lookout for what I am doing wrong.
If you found this helpful, please share with others using the MORE button options below.
In health with no more cramps-
Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sometimes we need reminders – that includes authors of healthy lifestyle blogs.
Yes, even me.
You see, we were wondering why something wasn’t working so well as I bustled around the kitchen this morning – “being all healthy.”
Soaking chia seeds for my sweetheart’s smoothie. Grinding up flax seeds for us both. Sautéing unbreaded okra slices for my gluten-free breakfast bowl. Drinking a glass of water as our first fluids of the day. Vitamins.
All the good things … Except.
Someone was complaining of “death balls” after a trip to the bathroom.
And someone else left the bathroom in happy amazement and relief.
What was the difference between the two of us?
It goes back to that truth-giving, three-legged stool. Take away just one of those legs, and the stool no longer functions.
Regardless of age, the human body needs three things in consistent daily supply for optimal bowel function. Yes, we’re talking about poop – and I’ve done this before HERE – but it bears repeating. Not sorry if this is TMI.
Repeat after me –
MY BODY NEEDS:
WATER
FIBER
EXERCISE
There should be enough water to lighten up the color of urine – which will be darker first thing in the morning. The number of 8-ounce glasses varies depending upon the level of hydration and if there is sweating. Generally, the number is 8 glasses.
Fiber minimums for adults are 21-25 grams for women and 30-38 grams for men. Most of us are dramatically deficient in getting enough fiber. You can read about ramping up fiber in our March 8th post.
Okay. That’s two legs of the stool. Isn’t that enough? No, foodtalk readers, it is not.
Nothing takes the place of exercise.
When I took my walk early yesterday morning at a jauntier pace than usual, and then did a repeat walk in the afternoon, I left the bathroom smiling today.
What with doing taxes at the computer for days and sitting to write a bit more, the walks were less peppy and not as long. The resulting disappointments in the bathroom were predictable.
Duh!
In health-
Deidre
If you found this useful, please share with someone using the MORE button options below. Thanks.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
You can even do a curtsy lunge. Just saying – in case you are going to be bowing down to any kind of royalty, this one’s for you.
As we spring into the new year of 2022, my body just seems to naturally want to move more.
Is it because I am pre-programmed to work off those sitting-around-watching-Hallmark-movies-or-bowl-game habits I so easily acquired in November and December? Or is it from the January TV commercial blitz to lose weight or firm up at the gym?
Whatever the reason, my MIND and BODY are telling me – it’s time to get real. Time to dust off my forgotten planks, daily walks, and those morning movements in the kitchen prior to breakfast.
I know that returning to a daily commitment will often rely upon whether the house has warmed up enough yet or if the sun is cheering me on, but first steps have happened.
A start is a start. Small starts count.
So, what has been my start?
Lunges.
Inspired by my past experiences in a pre-Covid gym class and by a loved one’s recent physical therapy exercise recommendations, I am lunging.
It is possible to lunge-walk your way around the house.
Rather than saying, “I need to get back to the gym,” or “I’ll watch that YouTube exercise video after breakfast,” just lunge your way into the kitchen or any other room RIGHT NOW.
How do lunges help your most important areas?
Lunges target the largest muscles in the body – quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core muscles – thus, they can reeve up metabolism and contribute to weight loss.
Lunges strengthen your back, hips, and legs, while improving mobility and stability.
A stronger core helps other movements happen more smoothly and naturally – allowing for increased ease and a more upright stance.
Before starting your lunges do this:
Make sure any exercise routine is safe for you by checking with your doctor or medical professional. The first rule of exercise is do no harm.
Since lunges fire up the big muscles, it is always wise to place lunges toward the middle of your routine – after you have warmed up. At the very least, for a quick bout of exercise, start with gentle stretches like marching in place, and gradually work up to full lunges.
Lunging 101
One of my favorite online resources HERE provides us with some good lunge basis, and I quote:
Stand with feet hip-width apart
Take a large step forward with one leg
Keep the majority of your weight on your front foot as you lower your hips, keeping the front foot flat and back heel lifted
Descend until your rear knee almost touches the floor and the front knee is stacked directly above the ankle, creating 90° bend in both knees
Drive through the heel of your front foot and push yourself back up to your starting position
If you are new to lunges or if it’s been a while since you have done them, the wonderful thing is that you can modify the length of your forward step and you can limit how far down you lower your hips. My Silver Sneakers instructor often had us just bounce down at a higher hip level before having us lower our hips for a deeper stretch.
You are not cheating if you are holding onto a counter’s edge or chair back for stability. This is a balance strengthening move – eventually, you may be able to let go of any stabilizing tool. Remember- safety first!
Lunges as therapy
If you are experiencing nerve/muscle pain, tingling, and numbness in your thigh or leg – as I and my sweetheart are – you might find your therapist recommending lunges as a part of your therapy. Consult with your specialist to see what approach would serve you best.
We are all familiar with the dietary temptations of this holiday season – starting with Halloween and culminating with New Year’s … or the Super Bowl … or maybe Valentine’s Day.
That’s at least four months of over-the-top sweets, fat, and decadent beverages. I’m letting St. Patrick’s Day slide because it features corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes – well, there is the beer.
I have compounded my personal challenge of not going crazy with holiday food by also being on the road visiting family for Thanksgiving and then vacationing for over two weeks. Yikes!
There is no way I want to re-lose those 25 pounds I lost over 6 months on Noom. No, siree!
My companion and I have met the challenge, not through denial and lack of participation in the local culinary and beverage scene, but by sharing a generous app or meal, doing lots of tourist-y walking to take in the magnificent views, and in eating at least one meal prepared in our micro kitchen each day.
A few bananas, apples, and a jar of peanut butter go a long way to save money and calories on breakfast. Using the microwave in our lodgings, I’ve added bowls of steel cut oats to the morning menu.
The one day, so far, which we each had our own meal, leftovers were kept and enjoyed the next night.
This approach to holiday/vacation eating seems to be working. My slacks are still quite comfortable to wear and there are no bulges.
Yet, we have marveled at the divine wonderfulness of our shared bowl of oyster “stew” – which looked like an oyster version of she-crab soup – as we tried not to audibly sigh with too much delight.
How are you managing your holiday eating? It does take some pre-planning and commitment, for sure, but blood sugars and waist sizes can be maintained.
Enjoy the holiday decorations
In health-
Deidre
If you have found this post helpful, please share using the options below.
It all started with a nice, big pizza. I lived in Sacramento at the time and had the high metabolism of youth.
Ah, those were the days …
There was a new place in town called Pizza and Pipes. Not the smoking kind of pipes, but those associated with a BIG pipe organ. Yes, there was a massive pipe organ inside, with a zillion pipes placed around the walls to surround the patrons with sound.
Pipes from the massive organ
Dining there was a memorable experience that culminated each night in the organist playing, J. S. Bach’s, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.
Oh, my!
He let all the stops out, and our pepperoni vibrated in jubilation!
Fast forward to present day, when I am seeking inspiring ways to change my exercise routine; pizza is a rare – now gluten free – treat, and I have learned about the benefits of creative movement.
That’s right. Creative movement. When you let the music speak through your body; inspiring original motions prompted by the tempo, lilt, and quality of the sounds.
Maestro Grant Llewellyn
Maestro Grant Llewellyn’s Enchantment of the Elves, mentioned in a previous post, is a gentle pre-coffee wake up for movement and stretch.
Later in the day, however, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor has long been a favorite for a full body workout.
Standing in the kitchen, it’s so easy to be carried away through bends, stretches, dips, squats, kickbacks, arm circles, and other movements that fit what this genius music is telling me.
Maestro Grant Llewellyn’s Enchantment of the Elves
When a larger space is available, I can use my gymnastic-inspired tool to keep ribbons suspended and moving through the air as Bach’s melody rises and falls.
Now, that’s an aerobics workout that will challenge you.
Constructing these ribbons was enjoyable for me and could become a fun family activity for you. Follow these steps to create colorful ribbons suitable for exercise.
Exercise Ribbons
Supplies
Doweling that feels comfortable in the hand – I used one with a 5/8-inch diameter. Doweling is available in craft and hardware stores.
Sandpaper
Craft paint
Eye screws
5-foot lengths of 1 1/2-inch ribbon
Method
Saw doweling into 6-inch lengths
Sand all surfaces of each length
Paint all surfaces using craft paint – two or three coats of paint may be needed, lightly sanding between coats
Screw in an eye screw into the center of one end – one on each piece
Tie on about 5 feet of colorful ribbon
Head out to the backyard to jam with your music.
Get your heart rate up; increase your ease of motion and let your spirit soar. A pair of these would make a thoughtful, affordable, and helpful gift.
In health through movement-
Deidre
#RAISEcaregiving (ACL’s official tag for RAISE activities)
#CaregivingInCrisis (CAN’s 2020 observance)
#NFCMonth (Annual observance hashtag)
#FamilyCaregiver (A larger conversation on family caregiving)
#Caregivers (Broadest conversation around caregiving)
The MORE button below will let you share this post with your friends. It’s also an excellent time to start gift purchases for the coming holidays. Why not go to this link HERE and get copies of my books for your friends and loved ones.
Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my brain the most.
Concern over loss of brain function seems to increase as we age, but research is showing that decreased brain function can even happen to young children if certain factors are in place.
Is this another hole-in-the-dam we need to plug? Absolutely. Like most problems, the causes are related to other things. Solve one or two, and a whole host of problems can be avoided.
peripheral nervous system
Today, I want to shine a light on BDNF, (Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor), whose presence is a key player in excellent brain function, and helps our peripheral nervous system, (AKA the nerves of our body outside of the brain itself). BDNF is a protein found in the brain that helps to ward off brain cell death and promotes the growth and development of new brain cells – along with their thousands of connections to other nerve cells.
Decreased levels of BDNF are associated with Alzheimer’s, premature aging, poor brain functioning, obesity, depression, and mental diseases.
Knowing ways to increase levels of BDNF in our brains just might be the impetus to tweaking some health habits. There’s nothing like motivation. Thing is, the answers to how to increase BDNF are not new, but the seriousness of being low on BDNF just might be the swift kick we need to make some changes. I know I am.
Intense Exercise is a crucial tool to increase/restore levels of BDNF, and obviously, has other benefits as well: Increased circulation to the brain, improved heart function, release of happy hormones, improved muscle and joint function, and … hello … helps with control of weight. A single trip to the gym to raise your heart rate one time, won’t tide you over for a month. Consistent effort with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise several times a week will do the job – over time.
Since pulling back from gyms during COVID, I had not returned. Simply relying on my home routine of daily planks, (I’m up to 7 minutes a day), using free weights, and walking has not been enough to boost my brain health or mood. Elliptical machine, here I come!
Intermittent Fasting (IF)/Caloric Restriction have been found to improve not only brain health, BDNF levels, but also heart function and better regulation of glucose levels. There will be a post about IF (Intermittent Fasting) soon. IF is when the fast of the night is extended into the late morning. More on this later.
Saying goodbye to refined sugar and saturated fat will also play a big role in not only raising BDNF levels, but in weight control and glucose regulation. Cutting back on sugar can be problematic because it really is addictive. As I stated on page 121 of, Toolkit for Wellness, sugar actually lights up the opiate receptors in our brains. If you haven’t done so already, start cutting down on sugars little by little; once you ultimately break free of the addiction, sweet things will not be calling you like sirens from the deep. Sugary foods will taste too sweet to be pleasurable – a smaller portion of any sugary treat will more than do the job.
Regarding saturated fat, keep fat selections to modest amounts of less refined good fats – including olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds.
Sunlight is another booster to BDNF. Studies are showing that BDNF rises and dips according to seasons and levels of ambient light.
Supplements to consider that raise BDNF production include curcumin, green tea, omega-3 fatty acids, and resveratrol.
Losing weight at any age will assist in increasing the production of BDNF. The nationwide trend of obesity in the young is startling, not only because it’s the first domino to fall toward diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, but because the developing brains of obese children are low in BDNF. Now, it may be a case of the chicken and the egg with childhood obesity and BDNF – they correlate with each other, but addressing the trifecta of sugar/fat consumption, decreased exercise, and lack of social interaction, (next on the list), will go a long way to improved brain health.
Being socially engaged has been an issue during COVID, to be sure. It wasn’t just in our heads … although, really it was … that our brain functions were sluggish and low during our isolation because the BDNF levels were, too. Yes. We are social creatures and it’s no coincidence we are feeling mentally refreshed as we take our vaccinated selves back into the world of smiling faces.
Here’s to increasing levels of BDNF to boost our brain health for life. I’m returning to the gym with my exercise buddy tomorrow, who is also in Noom. Weight mastery, exercise, and social interaction – what could be better?
In health and BDNF –
Deidre
As always, if this article was useful to you, please pass it on by clicking on the MORE key below to share on a multiple of platforms.
